Use Case: WebSocket Tier 1 Real-Time Market Data Cost Estimate
A sample Market Data API pricing simulation for real-time WebSocket Tier 1 data usage.
Use Case: WebSocket Tier 1 Real-Time Market Data Cost Estimate
This example estimates the cost of using the Market Data API WebSocket protocol for real-time trade, quote, or order book data.
Assumptions
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Protocol | WebSocket |
| Data type | Tier 1 Data |
| Tier 1 includes | Trades, quotes, order book data |
| Estimated usage | 100 GiB/day |
| Billing unit | GiB/day |
| Usage pattern | Daily real-time streaming |
Tier 1 pricing
| Daily usage tier | Price |
|---|---|
| First 32 GiB/day | $1.00 per GiB |
| 32 GiB - 128 GiB/day | $0.50 per GiB |
| 128 GiB - 512 GiB/day | $0.25 per GiB |
| Above 512 GiB/day | $0.10 per GiB |
Plan comparison
| Plan | Included Tier 1 Data/day | Estimated result |
|---|---|---|
| Pay As You Go | Metered | 100 GiB/day billed as used |
| Startup | 32 GiB/day | 68 GiB/day overage |
| Streamer | 128 GiB/day | Covered |
| Pro | 512 GiB/day | Covered, but more than needed |
Pay As You Go estimate
For 100 GiB/day:
First 32 GiB × $1.00 = $32.00
Remaining 68 GiB × $0.50 = $34.00
Total:
$66.00/day
Estimated 30-day usage:
$66.00 × 30 = $1,980.00/month
Startup estimate
Startup includes 32 GiB/day of Tier 1 Data.
Remaining overage:
100 GiB - 32 GiB = 68 GiB/day
The overage falls within the 32 GiB - 128 GiB/day tier:
68 GiB × $0.50 = $34.00/day
Estimated 30-day overage:
$34.00 × 30 = $1,020.00
Estimated total:
$79 Startup plan + $1,020.00 overage = $1,099.00/month
Result
For this sample, Streamer may be the best fit because it includes 128 GiB/day of Tier 1 Data, which covers the estimated 100 GiB/day usage.
Startup is likely too small for this usage pattern, while Pro may be more than needed unless the customer also requires higher REST limits, Tier 2 Data, or FIX API access.
Caveat
WebSocket data usage depends on subscribed symbols, channels, exchanges, message frequency, and market activity. Higher-volatility periods can increase transferred data volume.